>> THANK YOU.
>> YOU'VE SEEN THE IMAGES OF
ISLANDS OF PLASTIC FLOATING
AROUND IN OCEANS.
THE PROBLEM IS BAD IN THE GREAT
LAKES AS WELL.
IN FACT, SOME 22 MILLION POUNDS
OF PLASTIC FINDS ITS WAY INTO
THE GREAT LAKES EACH YEAR.
AND THAT IS A SOURCE OF DRINKING
WATER FOR 30 MILLION AMERICANS
INCLUDING ALL OF CHICAGO.
THE MAIN CULPRIT HERE: MICRO
PLASTICS AND WHAT ARE KNOWN AS
PLASTIC PELLETS.
JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT THIS
ISSUE AND SOLUTIONS IS ANDREA
DENSHAM SENIOR DIRECTOR OF
CONSERVATION POLICY AND ADVOCACY
AT THE SHEDD AQUARIUM.
ANDREA DENSHAM WELCOME TO
"CHICAGO TONIGHT".
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME TONIGHT.
GLAD TO BE HERE.
>> PERSPECTIVE HOW BAD IS THE
PROBLEM IN THE GREAT LAKES AND
SPECIFICALLY LAKE MICHIGAN?
>> RIGHT.
YOU GAVE THE QUOTE OF 22 MILLION
POUNDS ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES.
10 MILLION OF THOSE ARE IN LAKE
MICHIGAN ITSELF.
AND THAT WE THINK IS PROBABLY AN
UNDERESTIMATE UNFORTUNATELY.
YOU NOTED PLASTIC PELLETS WHICH
ARE FANTASTIC ALTHOUGH
CONCERNING STUDY WAS RELEASED IN
DECEMBER OF THIS LAST YEAR BY
PATRICIA COCHRAN NOTING THAT 66%
OF GREAT LAKES BEACHES HAD
PLASTIC PELLETS.
PREPRODUCTION PELLETS THAT ARE
USED IN THE CREATION OF OUR
SINGLE-USE PLASTICS.
>> TELL US MORE.
WE ARE LOOKING AT PICTURES OF
PELLETS.
IF YOU ARE WALKING ON A CHICAGO
BEACH YOU MIGHT GET THESE STUCK
BETWEEN YOUR TOES WERE ARE
PLASTIC PELLETS SUCH A CULPRIT
HERE?
>> ONE OF THE THINGS PATRICIA
NOTES IS NOT ONLY THE
PREDOMINANCE OF THEM ON OUR
BEACHES ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES
BUT THE NUMBER OF FACTORIES AND
MANUFACTURING THAT WE HAVE
ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES.
AND THAT IS FROM ONTARIO TO THE
MICHIGAN-WISCONSIN AND ACROSS TO
ILLINOIS.
THOSE FACTORIES ARE OFTEN
COLLOCATED NEAR WATER BECAUSE
IT'S HELPFUL IN THE
MANUFACTURING PROCESS.
AND AS THERE'S A LITTLE LESS
CARE THEN THERE COULD BE TO THE
TRANSPORTATION OF THE PELLETS
FROM THE TRANSPORTATION AND
INSIDE AND BACK OUT, THOSE
PELLETS GET FREE AND IT IS A
SIMPLE SOLUTION WE NEED TO MAKE
SURE THAT THOSE PELLETS WHICH
ARE SURROUNDED BY DANGEROUS
CHEMICALS STAY WITHIN THE
MANUFACTURING PROCESS AND WITHIN
THE MANUFACTURER ITSELF.
AND WE KNOW THAT IN CALIFORNIA,
WHERE THEY'VE HAD A BILL LIKE
THIS THEY HAVE A RULE AND A
REGULATION LIKE THIS FOR MORE
THAN 10 YEARS IT WORKED.
WE CAN DO IT.
WE ARE HOPEFUL IT PASSED THE
HOUSE AND IT'S ON TO THE SENATE
AND WE ENCOURAGE EVERYONE WHO
WANTS THE SOLUTION TO BECOME LAW
AND CONTACT THEIR ELECTED
OFFICIAL IN THE SENATE AND TRY
TO MOVE THE BILL FORKED.
>> SENATOR DURBIN HAS A BILL
THAT WOULD ADDRESS THIS ISSUE
WITH PLASTIC PELLETS.
IS IT MAINLY FINDING THE
COMPANIES THAT DO DISCHARGE THEM
ACCIDENTALLY OR NOT ACCIDENTALLY
INTO WATERWAYS AND INTO THE
LAKE.
>> IT'S EMPOWERING EPA TO HAVE
THE POWER TO HAVE CONSEQUENCES
WHEN THOSE ARE RELEASED INTO THE
WATERWAYS.
WHAT WE'VE LEARNED WHEN THOSE
CONSEQUENCES AND THOSE
REGULATIONS ARE THERE, THERE'S
CHANGES IN PRACTICE AND WE ARE
ABLE TO KEEP THEM OUT OF THE
WATERWAYS.
IT'S A SIMPLE SOLUTION WITH A
STRAIGHTFORWARD BILL.
IT IS SENATOR DURBIN'S BILL AND
WE WERE LUCKY TO HAVE HIM AT THE
SHED AQUARIUM WHEN HE RELEASED
AN ANNOUNCED THIS BILL AND WE
ARE HAPPY THAT THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES ALREADY MOVED IT
OUT OF THE HOUSE.
SO IT'S BACK TO THE SENATE AND
WE CANNOT WAIT TO GET THIS
PASSED INTO LAW.
>> AND THIS MIGHT BE PART OF THE
INFRASTRUCTURE BIPARTISAN
AGREEMENT THAT IS BEING
NEGOTIATED RIGHT NOW?
>> WHAT WE SAW IN THE HOUSE AND
WE WANT TO THANK REPRESENTATIVE
BLOOMENTHAL TO INCLUDE IT IN THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES EFFORT
ON INFRASTRUCTURE WHICH BY THE
WAY IS AN IMPORTANT EFFORT THAT
I HOPE EVERYONE IS HELPING
SUPPORT TO MOVE FORWARD
ESPECIALLY IN TERMS OF
SUSTAINABILITY.
IT PASSED OUT OF THE HOUSE AND
BACK TO THE SENATE.
THERE MAY BE VEHICLES WITHIN THE
INFRASTRUCTURE BILL.
BUT IT ALSO COULD BE A STAND
ALONE BILL.
WE'RE HOPING FOR IT TO MOVE AND
TRYING TO MAKE SURE THERE IS A
LOT OF ENERGY BEHIND THAT.
>> YOU MENTIONED 22 MILLION
POUNDS OF PLASTIC.
THROUGH THE PELLETS OR MICRO
PLASTICS IN THE GREAT LAKES.
DOES THAT MEAN WE'RE DRINKING
PLASTIC?
>> YOU KNOW THERE IS A
POSSIBILITY THAT THERE ARE MICRO
PLASTICS IN OUR WATER.
AND I LIVE CLOSE TO THE LAKE
LIKE SO MANY OF US AND THAT IS
MY DRINKING WATER AS WELL AND
THE DRINKING WATER OF MY
DAUGHTER WHEN SHE WAS YOUNGER.
ALL OF US HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT
TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE
NOT INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF
MICRO PLASTICS.
WE CAN MOVE AWAY FROM SINGLE-USE
PLASTIC AND ENCOURAGE AND
INCENTIVIZE BUSINESSES TO MOVE
IN THAT DIRECTION.
WE FOUND AT SHEDD WHEN YOU MAKE
THOSE BUSINESS CHOICES, NOT ONLY
DO CONSUMERS LIKE IT, BUT YOU
CAN MOVE MARKETPLACES.
>> AND YOU CAN HAVE AN IMPACT.
IS THE PROBLEM PRONOUNCED WITH
PLASTICS LIKE PLASTIC BOTTLES
LIKE YOU SEE IN THE OCEAN?
I HAVE NOT SEEN THAT IN THE
GREAT LAKES.
BUT IS THAT A PROBLEM AS WELL?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
WE DO RESEARCH AND DO GREAT HARD
AND FANTASTIC WORK CLEANING UP
THE CHICAGO RIVER AND LET ME
TELL YOU THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
LAKE SHORE AND CHICAGO RIVER
WITH PLASTIC POLLUTION IS
SUBSTANTIAL BECAUSE IT CAN GET
CAUGHT THERE.
AND YOU WILL SEE WHETHER AT A
DOCK OR IN THE CHICAGO RIVER OR
A PLACE WHERE IT'S COLLECTED
PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES ALL SORTS
OF SINGLE USE PLASTIC.
AND YOU ARE RIGHT I'M FROM THE
STATE OF MICHIGAN AND PROUD OF
THAT.
AND IN OUR HOME STATE, SINCE I
WAS A KID WE HAD A 10 CENT
BOTTLE BILL.
AND PEOPLE DON'T LEAVE 10 CENTS
SITTING ON THE GROUND THEY PICK
IT UP AND MOVE IT AND CONTAIN IT
WITHIN THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS
AND JEFFREY GETTLEMANS
CONTAINED.
WE CALL THAT EXTENDER PRODUCER
RESPONSIBILITY THEY PRODUCE
SOMETHING AND THEY HAVE THE
RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE IT'S
SAVED WELL WITHIN THE SYSTEM AND